Those who claim to be tolerant of religion often exhibit what is really “patronizing condescension.”

–philosopher Alvin Plantinga

“Ironically, those who pride themselves on being open and tolerant often end up merely practicing a different type of intolerance. They resist the idea that any one religion is true, because that implies the others are false—which they take to be disrespectful.

To them, it seems more respectful to say that all religions are symbolic ways of describing a mystical experience, or giving emotional comfort, or motivating people to be moral, or some such. In other words, in the case of religion, the actual teachings do not matter, only the social and emotional effects.

But is this relativistic view really tolerant? To say that the teachings do not matter is to say that all religions are wrong—because all religions claim that their teachings do matter.

The relativistic view insists that Hindus are wrong; Buddhists are wrong; Muslims, Jews, and Christians are wrong—and that only the postmodern view of religion is right.

As philosopher Alvin Plantinga comments, “I find it hard to see how this attitude is a manifestation of tolerance or intellectual humility: it looks more like patronizing condescension.”

The relativistic view of religion is just as exclusive as the claims of any traditional religion.”

(Saving Leonardo)